GRAND
BY DESIGN
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GRAND
BY DESIGN
Our History
New Yorkers in the early 1900s saw their city become a new cultural and commercial capital, deserving of a majestic landmark. At the same time, the vibrant movement known as City Beautiful promoted architectural excellence in New York. Grand Central is the culmination of this era, and its construction invigorated midtown Manhattan, transformed regional transportation, and shaped the city we know today.
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1913
Grand Central Terminal is Born
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
Here Comes The Neighborhood
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
Boom Town
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
America's Terminal
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
Saved By Penn Station
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
Trouble Brewing
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
Jackie Makes History
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970-1980s
Beauty Fades
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988-1990s
Revitalization and Renewal
1998
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
The World Is Watching
2023
1913
1913-1927
1930
1947
1967
1968
1976
1970 - 1980s
1988 - 1990s
1998
2023
LIRR Arrives at
Grand Central Madison
1913
Grand Central Terminal is Born
Although construction was not yet entirely complete, Grand Central Terminal officially opened to great fanfare at 12:01am on Sunday, February 2, 1913. More than 150,000 visited on opening day. New York City would never be the same.
1913-1927
Here Comes The Neighborhood
The Biltmore Hotel and Yale Club were constructed across Vanderbilt Ave. During the 1920’s, warehouses gave way to skyscrapers such as the Chanin, the Lincoln, and Chrysler Building. The Hotel Commodore opened in 1919 and the Graybar Building was completed in 1927, each with a passageway connection to Grand Central’s Main Concourse.
1930
Boom Town
As the neighborhood prospered, so did Grand Central. It has housed an art gallery, an art school, a newsreel movie theater, a rail history museum, and countless temporary exhibitions. Grand Central was the busiest train station in the U.S., and famous long-distance trains like the Fast Mail, the Water-Level Limited, the Wolverine, and the Twentieth Century Limited departed from the Main Concourse.
1947
America's Terminal
As the neighborhood prospered, so did Grand Central. It has housed an art gallery, an art school, a newsreel movie theater, a rail history museum, and countless temporary exhibitions. Grand Central was the busiest train station in the U.S., and famous long-distance trains like the Fast Mail, the Water-Level Limited, the Wolverine, and the Twentieth Century Limited departed from the Main Concourse.
1967
Saved By Penn Station
On August 2, 1967, NYC’s recently established Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Grand Central Terminal as a landmark, subject to the protection of the law. Pennsylvania Station had recently been demolished and the decision ensured the Terminal’s safety — for the moment.
1968
Trouble Brewing
Penn Central (the result of a merger between the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads) leased Grand Central Terminal to developer UGP Properties, Inc, who proposed building a 55-story tower designed by Marcel Breuer above Grand Central. The Terminal’s façade would have been preserved yet unviewable, and the entire main waiting room and part of the Main Concourse would have been demolished.
1976
Jackie Makes History
Penn Central filed an $8 million lawsuit against the City of New York, which was blocking the renovation. Litigation lasted for nearly a decade. City leaders including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Brendan Gill rallied against changes and in December 1976, the national register of historic places named Grand Central Terminal a national historic landmark.
1970-1980s
Beauty Fades
Grand Central had been spared the wrecking ball, but it was far from saved. After decades of deferred maintenance, the building was crumbling. The roof leaked, stonework was chipping away, and structural steel was rusted. Pollution and dirt had stained surfaces and commercial advertisements such as the Kodak sign and the Newsweek clock blocked out natural light.
1988-1990s
Revitalization and Renewal
Metro-North took over operations and commissioned a $435 million master revitalization plan from Beyer Blinder Belle, the architects responsible for the restoration of Ellis Island, with retail specialist Williams Jackson Ewing planning amenities and services. A further investment of $160 million was used for utility grants, Main Concourse improvements, and structural repairs.
1998
The World Is Watching
Construction began with the cleaning of the Main Concourse ceiling. As restoration and renovation continued, the project generated more than 2000 construction-related jobs throughout New York State. The project culminated with a rededication celebration that garnered international media attention and marked the beginning of a new chapter for Grand Central Terminal.
2023
LIRR Arrives At
Grand Central Madison
In early 2023, LIRR service to Manhattan’s East Side was established via two new Manhattan-Queens tunnels. It’s the largest improvement to Long Island Rail Road service in a century, adding peak hour service and increasing train capacity by 50%.
Grand Central Madison exhibits large-scale, site-specific murals by world-renowned artists Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith, and the longest escalator ride in NYC at 182 feet long — a 1 minute and 38 second ride!
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The Next 100 Years
The preservation and revitalization of Grand Central Station is a testament to its status as a cherished icon in the city's history and in the hearts and minds of New Yorkers. As the future unfolds, our continuing mission will be to uphold the station's historical significance while evolving as an essential part of the city's fabric.
Grand Central was always a vibrant community space — that feeling must always endure, even while the station continues to meet the dynamic transit needs of the region. Now Grand Central expands its reach by welcoming Long Island commuters, marking an exciting first step in its next century of serving as New York City's most beloved landmark.
Additional Resources
New York Transit Museum
GCTHistory.com
New York Transit Museum Gallery and Store
